Assemble Diamond Points

1. Sew together a dark print 1-3/4x42" strip and a light print 1-3/4x42" strip, offsetting strips by 1-1/4", to make Strip Set A (Diagram 1). Press seam toward darker print.

2. With a ruler and rotary cutter, trim right-hand edge of strip set at a 45˚ angle (Diagram 2). To easily trim at this angle, align the 45˚ line of an acrylic ruler with top edge of strip set (see blue line in Diagram 2).

3. Rotate strip set 180˚. Cutting parallel to trimmed left-hand edge, cut strip set into eight 1-3/4"-wide A segments (Diagram 3). Check every two or three segments to ensure you’re still cutting at a perfect 45˚ angle. Repeat Step 2 to correct the angle, if needed.

4. Using a light print 1-3/4x42" strip and a medium print 1-3/4x42" strip, repeat Step 1 to make Strip Set B (Diagram 4).

Assemble Blocks

1. Gather a set of matching tone-on-tone triangles and 4-1/8" squares and a set of eight matching diamond points.

2. Sew together two diamond points, without sewing into 1/4" seam allowance, to make an angled unit. Finger-press seam open. Referring to Diagram 7, set a tone-on-tone triangle into angled unit to make a diamond pair. Begin each seam from the center of the angled unit as the tone-on-tone triangle will extend slightly beyond finished edges of diamond points. Press seams toward diamond points. Repeat to make four diamond pairs total.

3. Referring to Diagram 8, join two diamond pairs without sewing into 1/4" seam allowance. Set a tone-on-tone 4-1/8" square into joined diamond pairs to make a star half. Begin each seam from the center of the joined diamond pairs as the tone-on-tone square will extend slightly beyond finished edges of diamond points. Press seams toward diamond pairs. Repeat to make two star halves total.

4. Sew together two star halves without sewing into 1/4" seam allowance. Press seam open. Set tone-on-tone 4-1/8" squares into open corners (Diagram 9) to make a Blazing Star block. Press seams toward squares. If necessary, trim edges of diamond pairs even with tone-on-tone squares. The block should be 12-3/4" square including seam allowances. The star should "float" slightly within background pieces.